Window regulator



1638,197 I 1927' E. E. HElNTZ WINDOW REGULATOR Filed Aug. 27, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Sum a1 E. E; HEINTZ WINDOW REGULATOR Aug. 9, 1927. 1,633,197

Filed Aug. 27, 1923 2 SheetsS'nee t 2 Patented Aug. 9, 1927.

UNITED STATES ERNEST E. HEINTZ, F DETROIT, MI CHIGAN,ASSIGNOR'TO TERNSTEDT MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

.wmnow REGULATOR.

Application filed August 27, 1923. Serial No. 659,449.

This invention relates to window regulators and has for its object an lmproved window regulator that is specially constructed to qualify it for low priced cars. Window regulators are qu te commonly made to operate by means of chains and gears.

These regulators are fairly satisfactory but the chains are. expensive to construct and they make the window regulator somewhat high priced for low pricedcars. The chain also is inclined to be noisy. .It'is the object of the present invention to make a practical, silent, and economically constructed regulator.

In the drawings: j Fig. 1 is an elevation of adoor withthe trimming removed showing the regulator installed.

Fig. Qis a fragmentary front elevation of a regulator.

Fig. 3 is a section on i l Fig. 4 is a section onthe line 44: of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 3 -3 of the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 2. j j Fig. 7 is a detail of the clutch parts.

a designates a drum having a helical groove Z) in its periphery. This is the driven drum. 0 represents a spool provided with a helical groove in its periphery. d designates a sheave. e is another sheave; an aeroplane cable 7 is anchored to the center of the periphery of the drum a by a clip 9. The "cable then coils about substantially half of the periphery of the drum and. runs down and turns under the sheave 6 running back up over the guide sheave cl and thence coils around and substantially fills the helica-l groove of the spool 0. One end of the cable is anchored at one end of the helical groove-of the. spool and the otherv end of the cable'is anchored at the other end of thehelical groove of the spool.

The driven drum is rotatably mounted upon the regulator plate It by ineansof a special screw machine'stud z. The drum itself is provided with a central bearing boss or journal 7' which is adapted to be rotatably supported in the journal bearing formed by the hollow interior of the stud 2'. A cap screw 70 provided with a spacing collar m passes through the bearing boss or journal pose.

of the drum and screws into the tapped instud to the pressed in portion 0 of the regu- I lator plate. This pressed in portion permits I the end ofthe stud and the lock nut to lie regulator plate so as to permit the trimming p to cover the same without being bulged out. By loosening the nut n the stud i which at g anchors the inner end of the spiral counterbalancing spring '1' may, be turned to tighten or loosen the spring for adjustment. .A screw driver slot 8 is provided in the end of the stud for this pur- The other end of the-counterbalancing spring is bent over the struck out lug 2. of the drum. Preferably the drum will be a heavy stamping with the groove rolled in it. I

At one side of the drum a islocated a stamped metal clutch housing a which comprises simply a strip of metal secured by small screws to the regulator plate. The drivingstud y has riveted on to the inner end, a cap-like collar. A reduced portion in forms ajournal for the drive stud a and is arranged to fit into the stationary stud g which has a flattened end 2 adapted to fit into the non-circular opening L in the housing plate. The housingplate abuts against the shoulders formed on the stationary stud y by the flats z and consequently neither the stationary stud y nor the driving stud '2) can move longitudinally inwardly and the collar w prevents either stud moving longitudinally outwardly. The spring "2 1s coiled about the stationary stud y and has collar picks up the lug" l of the spool. This occurs whether the driving effort is applied through the handle clock-wise or counterto positively lock the window when in its up permost position, the connection 9 between the cable and the windo" sash 18 such that when the window is in its uppermost posi tion this connection is on a vertical line passing through the center of the drum. Inasmuch as the window can only slide vertically downward, it will be apparent that this a dead center in an oiliort to apply force to the drum by thrusting the window downwa I tl e' consequence is that it forms an effective lock. v r

The spacer bar 7 connects tlie rcgu -"or plate with the toot strap 8 of the regulator.

The sheave (Z located as it is below the upper drum at the side of the spacer bar 7 serves to cause both runs of the cable to run vertically along the spacer bar. This is'adv'antagz cous both in taking up the tension of the cable :by sliding; the lower sheave down wardly and also in making the device coin pact by preventing; the spreading out of the cable into a triangle.

it will be apparent that the manirtacttui'er may easily adapt this regulator for any win dow condition or body conditionthat exist in any given car. The offset oi the driving handle from the center or the dr u may be made at any distance from the drum by simply lengthening or shortening the cable and placing the screw holes for the clutch housing screws and the hole for the driving stud at any desired position on the regulator plate. This is not possible where gears are used as the size of the gears will have to be altered and this may affect the transmission ratio. l

The desirable feature of this regulator is that no chain and no ears are utilized. At (3 the same time a regulator is afforded in which the driving n ber may be set atany desired position along the regulator plate to acconf niodate itself to varied body positions. This can and has been done with a sprocket and chainregulator where there is a positive connection between each sprocket and chain, but so far as we are aware, it has never been done with a cable regulator where no positive driving connection between the drum and spool and the cable is eflected by 1,ess,197

simply passing the cable over the same. By the arrangement of the helical grooves and anchors on thedriving spool and onithe drum, a positive driving connection is effected for both the drum and the spool;

-There is believed to be novelty in the special hearing which is provided tor the upper drum and also this bearing in connection with the pressing in of a section of the regulator plate. The subject matter, however, isthought to involve a separate invention and is included in a'co pendin'g application No. 659,491.

There is thought also to be novelty in the bearing for the lower sheave and this is also made the subject of a separate application 659,450. 7 I am aware that it is not broadlynew to employ a drum on which a cable winds in a helix for raising a window, but so far as l. f

am aware in such a construction the window has always been hung on the cable when In its uppermost posit on, thereby putting a constant strain on the-cable tending to wear" it, and also putting a constant stress on the clutch, ii there a clutch. One o'f'the features of my invention is that my cable drum is so arranged that it forms the same posi tive driving arrangement that is inherent in a sprocket wheel and the window-supporting connection 9 rides directly up the drum.

This puts the weight of the window onto toe" drum and relieves. the cable of the wearing tension. Furthermore, in my construction the window-supporting connection '9 rests at the top of the drum when the window is in its uppermost position, thereby substantially locking the window againstdescending,

from any force applied to the window. This does away with the necessity of aclutch in the uppermost position and relieves the clutch parts, it a clutch is used, of all stresses. 1 p 7 No claim is made in this application to the window lifting connection thatrides over the flange of the drum, as this might be used with an entirely different form of regulator, and is therefore thought to involve a separate invention. It is claimed in my'copendingapplication, Serial No. 672,793.

What I claim is; Q 7

1. In a window'regulator, the combination of a frame, three rotatable members supported on the frame, a' cable running over the three rotatable members positively anchored to two of the same, a window liftconnection carried by the cable and arranged to run part way over one of the r0- tatab'le members, and means by which the other rotatable member may be turned to drive the parts.

In a window regulator,the combination of three rotatable members, a frame for carrying the same upon which the rotatable members are supported at the points eta triangle, a flexible cable running over said three rotatable members and so arranged on one of them as to be positively tied thereto, a window lifting connection carried on the cable and. arranged to run part way over one of the rotatable members, and means by which the rotatable member positively tied to the cable may be turned to drive the parts. i

3. In a window regulator, the combination of a frame, tiree rotatable members rotata'bly supported thereon at the points of a triangle, a flexible cable passing over the three members and having its two ends anchored to one of the members and wound there around in a helix, and an intermediate portion of the cable helically wound around one of the other rotatable members.

4. In a window regulator, the combination of a frame, three rotatable members supported thereon at the apexes'of a triangle, a flexible cable passing over the rotatable members and wound on two of them in helices and having the two ends anchored to one rotatable member and an intermediate portion anchored to the other rotatable member.

5. In a window regulator, the combination of a frame including a plate, a drum supported on said plate rotatably, a lower sheave supported at the lower end of the frame, a driving spool supported on the plate in a position off-set to the drum, a flexible cable means connecting the lower sheave and the drum by means of a vertical run of cable and positively connecting the off-set drive spool and the drum so that the latter drives the drum, and a window lifting connection lo cated on thevertica'l run of cable and supported in the top of said drum when the window is in raised position.

6. In a window regulator, the combination of a frame including a window regulator plate and a spacer bar, a drum supported on the plate rotatably, a lower-sheave rotatably supported'near the lower end of the spacer bar, a' driving spool supported in an off-set position on the window regulatorplate at the side of the drum, cable means for connecting the drum and the lower sheave provided with a vertical run of cable and connecting the spool and the drum in a positive driving connection, and a window lifting connection secured to the vertical run of cable and running partially over the drum when the window is in raised position.

1 7. In a window regulator. the combination of a regulator frame including a regulator plate and a spacer bar, a drum rotatably supported on the plate, lower shea've rotatably supported on the lower end of the spacer bar,

a driving spool helically grooved and supported in an off-set position to the drum on the regulator plate, the said drum being likewise provided with a helical groove, cable means connecting the drum and the lower sheave and also connecting the spool and the drum, said cable means winding helically on the said helical grooves in both the drum and the spool, and a window lifting connection supported on the run of cable be tween the upper drum and the lower sheave and running partially over the drum when the window is in uppermost position.

8. In a window regulator, a frame includ ing a spacer bar, three rotatable members arranged at the apexes of a triangle and rotatably supported on, said frame includingone supported at the lowerend of the spacer bar, a flexible linear member running over the three rotatable members and positively connected to one of them, and a fourth rotatable mem her for bending said flexible linear member out of its natural triangular position so as to carry two vertical runs of the linear member along the vertical-spacer bar, and a window lifting connection secured on one of the vertical runs of the linear member and supported in the drum when thewindow is in raised position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ERNEST E. HEINTZ. 

